In illumination devices that are equipped with a semiconductor laser device, the laser beams generated by the semiconductor laser device can have a direction-dependent expansion or divergence, which causes problems when generating or imaging a desired light distribution. The direction-dependent expansion or divergence of a laser beam is captured by way of the terms slow axis and fast axis. In a plane perpendicular to the propagation direction of the laser beam, the term slow axis designates the direction of minimum divergence of the laser beam, while the term fast axis designates the direction of maximum divergence of the laser beam. The shape and size of a light spot or laser spot that is generated by a laser beam on the surface of a screen or a light wavelength conversion element is therefore dependent on the original profile of the laser beam immediately after it leaves the semiconductor laser device and on the length of the distance traveled by the laser beam between the semiconductor laser device and the screen or a light wavelength conversion device.